This weekend, a trip to the movies could do some good for Planned Parenthood.
A24, the studio behind Mike Mills’ “20th Century Women” is showing its support for the organization by donating 5% of its revenue from the film to Planned Parenthood.
“In honor of everyone who sees the film this weekend, we will be making a donation to our friends at Planned Parenthood, who generously worked with Mike Mills during the writing and pre-preproduction of ’20th Century Women’ to ensure this important period of women’s reproductive rights was portrayed accurately,” A24 told CNN in a statement.
“20th Century Women” is a coming-of-age tale — inspired by Mills’ own life — about an unlikely family unit that forms after a mother (Annette Bening) enlists guidance from other women (Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig) in her life as she raises her son to be a well-rounded individual.
In the film, set in 1979, Fanning and Gerwig’s characters go through personal struggles that cause them to seek the services of Planned Parenthood.
Fanning’s Julie goes there for birth control and Gerwig’s Abbie seeks out a cervical cancer screening after having battled it previously.
“Mike has done a fabulous job in this film of covering real women’s stories in a way that is accessible and actually generates conversations,” Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, said in a video released by the studio.
Mills added in a statement that the organization was helpful in ensuring the authenticity of the storylines.
“They connected me with people who worked in [Planned Parenthood] offices in the ’70s to make sure every aspect of my scenes was correct, from the language counselors used to the very particular decor and dress of the people in those offices, to the overarching philosophy and attitude of the women who worked there,” he said. “It was very important to me that we capture this moment in women’s reproductive rights accurately.”
An estimated one in five American women has visited a Planned Parenthood health center at least once in her life, according to the organization.
“Even though birth control became legal in the 70s, we are now headed into a time where there are folks in elected office who think we’re going to go back to the 1950s,” she said. “I certainly see the outpouring of young people in this country who can’t imagine going back to a day before women had access rights and health care that help them plan their families.”
A24’s announcement comes just days before thousands of people are expected to attend demonstrations across the country and in Washington D.C. as part of the Women’s March.
